Lactation performance and milk constituents of Umblachery breed of cattle (Bos indicus) in its native coastal ecology of Tamilnadu, India

R Rajendran

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the lactation performance of
Umblachery cattle under smallholder management system in its
breeding tract. Milk recording was made at monthly intervals in 435
cows in 13 randomly selected villages.

The average daily partial
milk yield was 2058 ± 18 g and it ranged from 400 to 4750 g.
The total estimated partial milk yield for the lactation was 494
kg. The average of milk fat percentage was 4.94 ± 0.06 and the
average solids-not-fat percentage was 7.80 ± 0.03 which ranged
from 7.73 to 8.17. The milk yield was highly variable with a
coefficient of variation of 35%. This suggests the possibility of
improving their daily production by genetic means.

Keywords: Cattle, fat, milk yield, SNF, Umblachery breed

Introduction

Umblachery breed is an excellent draught cattle of Tamilnadu
noted for its strength and sturdiness. They are distributed in
eastern coastal districts, Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam in Tamilnadu
state, India. It lies approximately between 10º18´ and
10º54´N and between 79º18´ and
79º48´E with an estimated total area of 3500 square
kilometer. The elevation of the breeding tract ranges from 0 to 50
metres above the mean sea level. Umblachery cattle are mainly used
for draught purpose like ploughing and carting and milk from the
animal is utilized for home consumption.

The udder is not well developed; bowl shaped and
tucked up with the abdomen. The teats are small and well set apart.
Milk vein is not prominent (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1. Umblachery calf

Figure 2. Umblachery cow

Materials and methods

Milk recording was carried out at monthly intervals in 13
randomly selected villages in Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts
of Tamilnadu, India. A total of 1591 milk recordings were made at
monthly intervals from 435 cows. The cows were milked twice a day
in the morning and evening.

Morning milking was done around 5 a.m. and evening milking was
done around 4 p.m. The utensils and udder were washed with plain
water. Hand milking was practised. The calves were used not only
for let down but were also allowed to consume milk before
milking. Before and after milking, the calf was allowed to
suckle milk. But before milking the calves were allowed to suckle
only for few minutes. Castor oil was used as lubricant while
milking. Mugs or small sized vessels made up of stainless steel
were used for collecting milk. Between milking also the calf was
allowed to suckle one time. During milking roughage was put before
the cow for easy milking without struggle. Calves up to 6-7 months
of age were grown on milk only. If it was male calf more milk was
left in the udder. The male calves were allowed to suckle as much
milk as it required.

As the farmer and calf shared the milk, the milk yield data were
considered as daily partial milk yield as suggested by Okantah
(1992). In addition, milk samples were collected in the morning for
estimation of milk constituents. Milk constituents i.e., percentage
of fat was estimated by the Gerber butyrometer (ISI: 1224 - Part I
1977) and the percentage of SNF was determined gravimetrically.
Data on lactation length were also collected through questionnaire
for each cow specifically in the herd and were recorded to the
nearest fortnight. The total milk yield for the lactation was
estimated using average daily partial milk yield and average
lactation length. The animals are generally fed with paddy straw
and small quantities of concentrate feeding (oil cake, mostly rice
bran) in early lactation. The animals were also taken for
grazing.

Results and discussion

The study revealed that 28% of milch animals were in
first lactation and 33% in second, 29% in third, 7% in fourth and
3% in fifth and above. Cows in second and third lactation were
found in large numbers. Calvings were found to be distributed
throughout the year.

The average daily partial milk yield, fat and SNF contents of
Umblachery cattle are furnished in Table 1.

Average daily partial milk yield

The average for overall daily partial milk yield was 2058 ±
18 g and it ranged from 400 to 4750 g. The milk yield recorded did
not show any definite pattern. The milk yield was highly variable
with a coefficient of variability of 35%. This suggests the
possibility of improving their daily production by genetic means.
The milk yield decreased even from first month onwards. The
reasons might be due to difference in amount of milk fed to
different sexes, allowing growing male calves to suck more milk and
milking the animals as to owner's requirement. The total estimated
partial milk yield for the lactation was 494 kg. The total milk
yield estimated in this study was generally higher than the earlier
reported values of 338 kg and 354 kg for this breed (Kanakaraj et
al 1993; Thomas 1995), which was based on farm records.

Milk constituents

The average of milk fat percentage was 4.94 ± 0.06. The
mean fat percentage at first month was 4.46 ± 0.14 and by
eighth month of lactation was 5.65 ± 0.50. There was no
specific trend in the monthly averages for the fat and SNF content.
But, when fat content of the milk considered as early, mid and late
lactation the same was found to increase as the lactation advanced.
The fat content was higher than the reported value of 3.89 in
Kangayam cattle, another draught breed in the same state (Rajendran
1995) and comparable with other Indian breeds. The average
solids-not-fat percentage was 7.80 ± 0.03 and ranged from 7.73
to 8.17. The SNF is less than the standard of 8.5% prescribed for
cow milk under PFA rules 1955. This might be due to poor genetic
potentialities of the Umblachery cows with respect to SNF
percentage, since, underfeeding has been shown to lower SNF
percentage of the milk by only 0.2 to 0.3 % (Griffiths et al 1957).
Robertson et al (1956) had confirmed the strong inheritance of SNF
percentage.

Lactation length

The average lactation length was found to be 8 months, which is
higher than the values of 6.3 months (Kanakaraj et al 1993) and 7.4
months (Thomas 1995) for the same breed in an organized farm.

Conclusion

The milk yield was highly variable with a coefficient of
variability of 35%. This suggests the possibility of improving
their daily production by genetic means.

The actual milk production capacity of Umblachery cows might
be higher than that estimated in this study. Since, it is based on
partial milk yield data and the animals are also maintained under
low-input system of management.

The major cause for low SNF % might be due to poor genetic
potentialities of the cows as judged from the average composition
of the milk. If this conclusion be accepted, it is clearly of
importance to test individual cow's milk for SNF as well as for
fat, especially for breeding herds.

Acknowledgement

I wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance of the many people
who made this investigation possible, and in particular to
co-operating farmers. In addition, I wish to thank the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research for financial
assistance.

References

Griffiths T W and Featherstone J 1957 Variations in
the Solids- Not- Fat content of Milk. Investigations into the
nature of the Solids- Not- Fat Problem in the West Midlands.
Journal of Dairy Research 24:201-209.

ISI 1977 Determination of fat by the Gerber method: Part
I Milk. IS: 1224 (Part I) - 1977 Indian Standards Institution, New
Delhi.